Fill Flash: Advice to improve this shot

[jay ott]

I shot this to test Delta 3200 at ISO 2000 1/60 at f2.8 in Xtol 1:1.

I would like to try it again on Tri-X at 200 and Plus-X at 80.

Obviously I'll need flash but I like the ambient light so I'll use

fill flash to get greater DOF and to soften or eliminate the shadow

on the left. Flash is a Sunpak 383. Canon A1. It's a small room so

I'll need to use my 28mm or 50mm lens at about 6 feet. My question

is what will be the best solution? Bounce flash off white walls?

Off camera flash on left side at an angle? Or other?<div></div>

[michaelkh]

This may be me being naive, but what's to improve in this shot?

 

It's lovely - I suppose you might be saying the original is grainier than you might want, but aside from that, don't fix what isn't broken, I think!

 

As to the DOF: "I focussed until it was beautiful" - Julia Margaret Cameron.

[mark_lloyd1]

Given you want to try to replicate this shot and you like the effect but

just want to even out the light a little probably the be bet is to keep the

main light source coming from the direction it is and use a reflector to fill

the shadow.

 

Looking at the numbers you need to get quite a lot more light into the

area.

 

As you look at the image the right side of the current picture looks about

2 stops over exposed so just with a reflector on the dark side you could

reshoot on iso 2000 at 1/60 f5.6 which gives you the dof you want. Now

all you need to do is to work out how to get an extra 3 1/2 stops of light

coming from the right (4 1/2 in the case of plus-x at 80).

 

Probably bounce the flash of a big white card just below where the

natural light souce is.

 

Now getting the dog (even a lab) to stay still while you set this up is

another matter.

[mark_lloyd1]

Just a quick addition I agree with Micheal the shot looks good now and a

little dark room dodging may be all that is needed to even out the lighting.

 

That won't solve the DOF if you really think that is a problem.

 

Rembember as well if you increase the DOF there appears to be some

other things in the background which will become more visible and maybe

distracting.

 

Anyway experimentation never hurts and everytime you try something

different you will have another tool in your aresenal to get the image you

want.

[timberwolf1]

I like it just as it is. If you use a 28mm you will distort the dog's face. You don't need

more sharpness, the expression is timeless. It is obvious that you are very caring for this

pet!

 

Yes, I would bounce off a wall to the right. I would let it go dark on the left, but if you

don't like it, use a silver reflector to decrease the darkness. You can use tin foil on a piece

of cardboard for this shot due to the fact that the dog does not have surface skin.

[christopher_nisperos2]

I'd agree with the gist of the comments so far. It's a nice shot as

it is. At the time you shot it, a fill card on the shadow side

would've been nice, but, now that you have the negative, you can

probably get what you want by applying printing controls

(dodging or contrast change, etc.).

 

Anyway, it seems to me that a using a flash on this shot might

have ruined it's intimate, "quiet" mood, as well as throwing a

distracting shadow onto the wall in the background.

[jay ott]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.

[twmeyer]

It's great like it is... what more is necessary on the shadow side? You have great enough detail and tone to completely convey your subjects frame of mind. Lightening it would destroy the mood and make it seem like a weak attempt at a studio portrait. Here it looks like a great candid... t